Basket carrier for bottles and blank therefor

ABSTRACT

An article carrier ( 10 ) of the basket type is adapted to accommodate a plurality of articles, such as bottles (B). The carrier ( 10 ) comprises a base ( 22, 36 ), opposed side ( 14, 28 ) and end ( 12, 16; 26, 30 ) walls and a medial partition structure ( 52, 56, 62, 64 ) and handle means (H) by which the carrier ( 10 ) can be lifted and carried. The bottles (B) are received on both sides of the medial partition structure ( 52, 56, 62, 64 ) of the carrier ( 10 ). The medial partition structure ( 52, 56, 62, 64 ) is formed from a pair of internal medial partition panels ( 52, 56 ) hinged together along a first fold line ( 60 ) and having a pair of abutments ( 96 ) provided internally adjacent the fold line ( 60 ). A pair of external medial partition panels ( 62, 64 ) are attached to the internal medial partition panels ( 52, 56 ). The handle means (H) is formed of a first pair of handle panels ( 86, 88 ) hinged together along a second fold line ( 90 ) and having a pair of corresponding handle apertures ( 98 ) therein. The first pair of handle panels ( 86, 88 ) are slidably movable within the pair of external medial partition panels ( 62, 64 ) and have a pair of shoulders ( 94 ) arranged to correspond to the pair of abutments ( 96 ). The handle means (H) is therefore movable between a lower retracted position and an upper, extended position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an article carrier of the basket type formed from paperboard or like foldable sheet material, which carrier is adapted to accommodate a plurality of articles, such as bottles, and to a blank for forming the carrier.

Normally a basket carrier for bottles includes a central (medial) partition structure which incorporates a handle structure by which the carrier can be lifted and carried and the bottles are arranged in rows on either side of the central partition structure. In general, the handle structure ends up being below the level of the tops of the bottles when the bottles are in the carrier. This can make it inconvenient or uncomfortable for a user's hand to use the handle structure, especially if the bottle tops are of the crown type having fairly sharp edges.

In other known basket carrier style cartons, the handle protrudes above the bottle tops, which makes it difficult to stack the carriers during transit, because the handle arrangement may become deformed or even tear. Accordingly such known article carriers are not suited to stacking.

The present invention and its preferred embodiments seek to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the invention provides an article carrier adapted to accommodate a plurality of articles, for example bottles comprising a base, opposed side and end walls, and handle means by which the carrier can be lifted and carried. The handle means comprises a pair of opposed parallel upright guide panels and an upright handle member disposed at least in part between the guide panels for upward and downward sliding movement. The handle member has a pair of shoulders and wherein an upper stopper for engagement with the shoulders is disposed along a first common edge of the guide panels to limit upward movement of the handle member.

Preferably, the handle member is provided with a lower stopper to limit downward movement of the handle, by abutment against a second edge of the guide panels. A limit stop for engagement with the lower stopper may be disposed below the handle member to limit downward movement of the handle member.

In some embodiments, the handle member is provided with guide strips to guide the handle member between the guide panels.

The handle structure may further comprise a reinforcing layer member formed from the guide panels and secured to the handle member.

According to a second aspect of the invention, an article carrier is adapted to accommodate a plurality of articles, for example bottles, comprising a base, opposed side and end walls, a medial partition structure provided by a pair of medial panels and handle means by which the carrier can be lifted and carried, with articles being receivable on both sides of the medial partition structure of the carrier. At least a portion of the handle means is slidably movable within the pair of medial partition panels, so that the handle means is movable between a retracted position and an extended position with the handle means positioned above the article tops. The upper edge of that part of the handle means contained within the medial partition panels abuts a limit stop within the medial panels in the extended position.

A third aspect of the invention provides an article carrier of the basket type adapted to accommodate a plurality of articles, such as bottles, comprising at least one base panel, opposed side and end walls, a medial partition structure and handle means by which the carrier can be lifted and carried, the articles being receivable on both sides of the medial partition structure of the carrier, wherein the medial partition structure is formed from a pair of internal medial partition panels hinged together along a first fold line and having a pair of abutments provided internally adjacent the fold line and a pair of external medial partition panels hinged together and attached to the internal medial partition panels, wherein the handle means is formed of at least a first pair of handle panels hinged together along a second fold line and having a pair of corresponding handle apertures therein, the first pair of handle panels being slidably movable within the pair of external medial partition panels and having a pair of shoulders arranged to correspond to the pair of abutments, wherein the handle means is movable between a retracted position where the second fold line is substantially collinear with the first fold line and an extended position where the pair of shoulders abut the pair of abutments and the handle apertures are further from the base of the article carrier than in the retracted position.

In a preferred embodiment, the handle means further comprises a pair of external handle panels hinged together and having a pair of corresponding handle apertures therein, the external handle panels being attached to the first pair of handle panels such that the handle apertures are substantially in line with each other.

Preferably, temporary connections are provided between the handle means and the medial partition structure, which temporary connections shear when strain is put onto the handle means with respect to the medial partition structure.

At least one partition panel is preferably provided between each of the side walls and the medial partition structure.

In one embodiment, the carrier further comprises at least one securing panel, hingedly coupled to an end wall, and attached to the medial partition structure to secure the handle means, within the medial partition structure.

According to a fourth aspect, the invention provides a blank for forming an article carrier of the basket type, which blank comprises a first series of main panels, hingedly coupled together for forming a first side panel, a first pair of end panels, and a first base panel of the carrier, a second series of main panels hingedly coupled together for forming at least a second side panel, and a second pair of end panels of the carrier, the blank including, at one end thereof, a first internal medial partition panel hingedly connected to the first series of main panels and a second internal medial partition panel hingedly connected to the first internal medial partition panel and to the second series of main panels, each of the internal medial partition panels having an internal handle panel struck therefrom having a handle aperture therein, such that the internal handle panels are hingedly connected together and to provide a pair of shoulders on the internal handle panels and a pair of corresponding abutments on the internal medial partition panels, which abutments are spaced from the corresponding shoulders, the blank further comprising a pair of external medial partition panels hingedly connected together and to the internal medial partition panels and being located, in the blank, between the first and second series of main panels.

In a preferred embodiment, each of the external medial partition panels has an external handle panel struck therefrom, with each external handle panel having a handle aperture therein

Temporary shearable connections are preferably provided between the internal and external handle panels and the respective internal and external medial partition panels.

Preferably, at least one transverse partition panel is struck from each of the internal medial partition panels.

In one embodiment, the blank comprises, at a second end thereof remote from the first end, a pair of securing panels hingedly coupled to the respective first and second series of main panels for attachment to the internal medial partition panels.

In a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a basket style carton having a composite centre partition structure which comprises a pair of partition panels and a pair of handle panels struck from the partition panels. The partition panels are secured together along their coated sides and the handle panels are secured together along their uncoated sides. The partition panels are interconnected along their common upper edge and folded about the upper edge to have the coated sides secured together, the handle panels are interconnected along their common upper edge and folded about the upper edge to have the uncoated sides secured together.

Preferably, the handle members are disposed for movement between extended and stowed positions with respect to the partition panels, and the upper edges may be aligned with each other when the handle panels are in the stowed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an unfolded single blank from which a bottle carrier according to one embodiment of the invention can be formed;

FIGS. 2 to 5 show sequential steps in forming the carrier from the blank of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 shows a completed and (partly) loaded carrier with the handle structure in a lower position;

FIG. 7A shows the carrier of FIG. 6 with the handle structure in an upper position; and

FIG. 7B shows an enlarged cut-away view of part of the handle structure of FIG. 7A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, an article carrier is formed from a single blank 10 of paperboard or other suitable foldable sheet material, for example plastics material or the like. In the illustrated embodiments, a unitary blank is used to make a single carton, although it is envisaged that two or more blanks may be employed, for example to provide the handle structure. In this embodiment, the set up carton is adapted to accommodate six bottles “B” (FIG. 6) arranged in two rows of three bottles each. The carrier can be adapted, without departing from the scope of invention, to accommodate a different number and/or configuration of articles according to user requirements.

In this embodiment, the carrier comprises a series of panels which are provided for forming the base, sides, ends and handle structure. In this embodiment, there comprises a first series of outer panels consisting of first side wall panel 28, a first base panel 36 hinged to the upper edge of first side wall panel 28 along a fold line 38, and first end panels 26 and 30 hinged to either side of the first side wall panel 28 along respective fold lines 32 and 34. Similarly, a second series of main panels consists of a second side wall panel 14, a second base panel 22 hinged to the lower edge of second side wall panel 14 along a fold line 24, and second end panels 12 and 16 hinged to either side of the second side wall panel 14 along respective fold lines 18 and 20.

The first and second series of outer panels are connected to each other at both ends of the blank 10. At a first end of the blank 10, panels 50 for forming a medial partition structure are hinged to first and second end wall panels 30 and 16 along respective fold lines 58 and 54, as will be further described below. At the second end of the blank 10, a pair of securing panels 44 and 40 are hinged to first and second end wall panels 26 and 12 along respective fold lines 46 and 42, the securing panels 44 and 40 being hinged together along fold line 48.

As mentioned above, the first and second series of outer panels are connected to each other at the first end of the blank 10 by panels 50 for forming a medial partition and handle structure. These panels 50 include a first internal medial partition panel 56 hinged to the first end wall panel 30 along fold line 58 and a second internal medial partition panel 52 hinged to the second end wall panel 16 along fold line 54 and to the first internal medial partition panel 56 along fold line 60. In those embodiments holding two rows of three articles, each of the internal medial partition panels 52 and 56 have a pair of transverse partition panels 70 and 78 struck therefrom. First transverse partition panels 70 are hinged to the respective internal partition panel along fold line 74 and are provided with securing end portions 72 hinged to the rest of the transverse partition panel along fold line 76. Similarly, second transverse partition panels 78 are hinged to the respective internal partition panel along fold line 82 and are provided with securing end portions 80 hinged to the rest of the transverse partition panel along fold line 84.

The first internal medial partition panel 56 has a first internal handle panel 86 struck therefrom at a central area thereof along transverse cut 92 and end cuts 93, but leaving shearable connections 91 at several locations along transverse cut 92 to maintain a connection between first internal handle panel 86 and first internal medial partition panel 56 during manufacture of the carrier. Each of the end cuts 93 has a staggered configuration to provide a shoulder 94 at each side of the first internal handle panel 86. A pair of abutments 96 are cut in the first internal medial partition panel 56 to correspond to the shoulders 94, but spaced therefrom, so as to be adjacent the fold line 60.

Similarly, the second internal medial partition panel 52 has a second internal handle panel 88 struck therefrom at a central area thereof along transverse cut 92 and end cuts 93, but leaving shearable connections 91 at several locations along transverse cut 92 to maintain a connection between second internal handle panel 88 and second internal medial partition panel 52 during manufacture of the carrier. Again each of the end cuts 93 has a staggered configuration to provide a shoulder 94 at each side of the second internal handle panel 88. A pair of abutments 96 are cut in the second internal medial partition panel 52 to correspond to the shoulders 94, but spaced therefrom, so as to be adjacent the fold line 60.

The first and second internal handle panels are hinged together along fold line 90, which is, preferably, collinear with fold line 60. Each of the internal handle panels 86 and 88 has a handle aperture 98 cut out from them at corresponding locations opposite the fold line 90.

Located, in the blank 10, between the first and second series of main panels are first and second external medial partition panels 62 and 64. The first external medial partition panel 62 is hinged to the first internal medial partition panel 56 along fold line 68 and has a first external handle panel 100 struck therefrom, at a central area thereof along cut 112, but leaving shearable connections 110 at several locations along cut 112 to maintain a connection between first external handle panel 100 and first external medial partition panel 62 during manufacture of the carrier.

Similarly, the second external medial partition panel 64 is hinged to the second internal medial partition panel 52 along fold line 68 and has a second external handle panel 102 struck therefrom, at a central area thereof along cut 112, but leaving shearable connections 110 at several locations along cut 112 to maintain a connection between second external handle panel 102 and second external medial partition panel 64 during manufacture of the carrier. The first and second external medial partition panels 62 and 64 are hinged along fold line 66 and first and second external handle panels 100 and 102 are hinged together along fold line 104, which is, preferably, collinear with fold line 66. Each of the external handle panels 100 and 102 have a handle aperture 106 cut out from them at corresponding locations opposite the fold line 104, with a handle support panel 108 hinged to the respective external handle panel extending into each handle aperture 106.

In order to form the completed carrier in flat collapsed condition from the blank, a series of sequential folding and gluing operations are required and will be described further with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 of the drawings. The folding and gluing operations can be performed in one or more straight line machines, so that the carrier is not required to be rotated or inverted to complete its construction. The folding process is not limited to that described below and can be altered according to particular manufacturing requirements.

First, inner handle panel 88 is folded along fold line 90 in direction X into face contacting arrangement with inner handle panel 86, as shown in FIG. 2, and secured thereto. Glue is applied to shaded areas G on securing end portions 72 and 80 of first and second transverse partition panels 70 and 78. Preferably, glue is also applied to peripheral edges of first and second external medial partition panels 62 and 64 and, optionally, of first and second external handle panels 100 and 102.

The medial partition structure 50, that is first and second internal medial partition panels 52 and 56, including first and second internal handle panels 86 and 88 and transverse partition panels 70 and 78 are then folded inwardly (to the left as shown) about fold line 68 into face to face relationship with first and second series of main panels and with the first and second external medial partition panels 62 and 64 and the first external handle panel 100, and secured thereto as shown in FIG. 3.

As further shown in FIG. 3, glue is then applied to one peripheral shaded edge G of first and second internal medial partition panels 52 and 56 away from fold line 68, and securing panels 40 and 44 and first and second end wall panels 26 and 12 are folded inwardly (to the right) about fold lines 32 and 18 to bring the securing panels 40 and 44 into face to face relationship with first and second internal medial partition panels 52 and 56. The part assembled blank is now in the form shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, the internal structure is completed by applying glue to shaded areas G comprising side and transverse portions of first internal medial partition panel 56 and first securing panel 44, as well as transverse portions of second internal handle panel 86 and second external handle panel 102. Thereafter, the partially formed carrier is folded about the now central fold line 104 to bring those parts on either side of the central fold line 104 into face to face relationship whereby first and second internal medial partition panels 52 and 56 and first and second securing panels 40 and 44 are adhered together, as are the first internal handle panel 86 and the second external handle panel 102. The carrier is then in a flat collapsed form, as best shown in FIG. 5, from which it can be erected for loading.

In order to erect the carrier, side walls 14 and 28 are moved outwardly with respect to the medial partition structure so that end walls 12, 26, 16 and 30 pivot about their respective fold lines 18, 20, 32 and 34, while transverse partition panels 70 and 78 pivot about their respective fold lines 74 and 82. Loading is accomplished by relative vertical movement between bottles and carrier during common forward feed movement, well known in the art, by which bottles enter their respective cells through the open bottom of the carrier. Thereafter, the bottom panels 22 and 36 are folded upwards to close the lower ends of the bottle cells and can be either glued together or otherwise fastened together by various means, as known in the art.

As shown in FIG. 6, during the loading operation, and before the carrier is lifted by handle structure H, the handle structure H is still in a retracted, lower position, with the first and second internal handle panels 86 and 88 and the first and second external handle panels 100 and 102 still being connected to the first and second internal medial partition panels 52 and 56 and the first and second external medial partition panels 62 and 64, respectively by shearable connections 91 and 110.

When, however, the carrier is lifted by handle structure H, as shown in FIG. 7A, the handle structure H moves to an extended, upper position. As best shown in FIG. 7B, being a cut-away enlarged view of part of the handle structure H, when a strain is put on the handle structure H relative to the rest of the carrier, the first and second internal handle panels 86 and 88 and the first and second external handle panels 100 and 102, being fastened together, shear the frangible connections 91 and 110 so that the handle panels 86, 88, 100 and 102 move upwards relative to the medial partition panels 52, 56, 62 and 64 until the shoulders 94 on the first and second internal handle panels 86 and 88 abut against the abutments on the first and second internal medial partition panels 52 and 56. Thus the abutments 96 function as limit stops to limit upward movement.

This abutting relationship provides the strength for the handle structure to carry the rest of the carrier, whilst the formation of the medial partition panels 52, 56, 62 and 64 together with the securing panels 40 and 44 serves to hold the slidable handle structure within the medial partition structure.

One advantage is that a new handle structure is provided which, in use, is arranged above the level of the tops of bottles within the carrier, but otherwise the handle structure is retained at lower position until the first time a basket with bottles therein is lifted, whereupon the handle structure shears from the retaining connections and moves upwards to its upper position.

A further advantage of the invention is that in those basket style cartons having a center partition panels hingedly connected directed to one of the end walls, the coated side of the paperboard are exposed for the handle panels 86, 88 and still yet allow the lower part of the partition panels 52, 56 to remain intact or to be available for the other structures such as lateral partitions. The internal handle panels 86, 88 with their coated sides exposed as shown in FIG. 7A not only enhance the appearance of the carrier but also provide an additional graphic area for promoting sales of the bottled product packaged in the carrier.

It will be recognised that as used herein, directional references such as “top”, “base”, “end”, “side”, “inner”, “outer”, “upper” and “lower” do not limit the respective panels to such orientation, but merely serve to distinguish these panels from one another. Any reference to hinged connection should not be construed as necessarily referring to a single fold line only: indeed it is envisaged that hinged connection can be formed from one or more of one of the following, a score line, a frangible line or a fold line, without departing from the scope of invention.

It should be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the present invention, for example, the size and shape of the panels and apertures may be adjusted to accommodate articles of differing size or shape, alternative top and base closure structures may be used. The carton may accommodate more than one article in different armys.

Whilst only one particular embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be appreciated that a person skilled in the art can make modifications and improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the glue areas could clearly be varied and replaced by other areas, so long as the appropriate panels were attached to each other, as desired. It is also possible to perform some of the gluing and folding operations in a different order. For example, the first and second internal handle panels 86 and 88 could be glued together after first and second internal medial partition panels 52 and 56 are folded over to glue the transverse partition panels 70 and 78 to the side walls 14 and 28. Furthermore, the configuration of the main panels can also be varied, for example by having only one base panel, rather than two, as described above. 

1. An article carrier for accommodating a plurality of articles, comprising a base, opposed side and end walls, and handle means by which the carrier can be lifted and carried, the handle means comprises a pair of opposed parallel upright guide panels and an upright handle member disposed at least in part between the guide panels for upward and downward sliding movement, wherein the handle member has a pair of shoulders and wherein an upper stopper for engagement with the shoulders is disposed along upper edges of the guide panels to limit upward movement of the handle member.
 2. A carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein a lower stopper for engagement with the handle member is disposed below the handle member to limit downward movement of the handle member, by abutment against a lower edge of the handle member.
 3. The carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein a pair of guide strips are disposed along the opposed side edges of the handle member to guide upward and downward movement of the handle member.
 4. A carton as claimed in claim 1 wherein the handle structure further comprises an upright primary member which is disposed between the guide panels, and the primary member provides both the handle member and the upper stopper.
 5. A carton as claimed in claims 2 wherein the handle structure further comprises an upright primary member which is disposed between the guide panels, and the primary member provides the handle member, the upper stopper and the lower stopper.
 6. A carton as claimed in claim 3 wherein the handle structure further comprises an upright primary member which is disposed between the guide panels, and the primary member provides the handle member, the upper stopper and the guide strips.
 7. An article carrier of the basket type for accommodating a plurality of articles, comprising at least one base panel, opposed side and end walls, a medial partition structure and handle means by which the carrier can be lifted and carried, said articles being receivable on both sides of said medial partition structure of the carrier, wherein said-medial partition structure is formed from a pair of internal medial partition panels hinged together along a first fold line and having a pair of abutments provided internally adjacent the fold line and a pair of external medial partition panels hinged together and attached to the internal medial partition panels, wherein the handle means is formed of at least a first pair of handle panels hinged together along a second fold line and having a pair of corresponding handle apertures therein, the first pair of handle panels being slidably movable within the pair of external medial partition panels and having a pair of shoulders arranged to correspond to the pair of abutments, wherein the handle means is movable between a retracted position where the second fold line is substantially collinear with the first fold line and an extended position where the pair of shoulders abut the pair of abutments and the handle apertures are further from the base of the article carrier than in the retracted position.
 8. A carrier according to claim 7, wherein the handle means further comprises a pair of external handle panels hinged together and having a pair of corresponding handle apertures therein, the external handle panels being attached to the first pair of handle panels such that the handle apertures are substantially in line with each other.
 9. A carrier according to claim 7, further comprising temporary connections between said handle means and the medial partition structure which temporary connections shear when strain is put onto the handle means with respect to the medial partition structure.
 10. A carrier according to claims 7, further comprising at least one partition panel provided between each of said side walls and the medial partition structure.
 11. A carrier according to claims 7, further comprising at least one securing panel hingedly coupled to an end wall and attached to the medial partition structure to secure the handle means, within the medial partition structure.
 12. A blank for forming an article carrier of the basket type, the blank comprising a first series of main panels, hingedly coupled together for forming a first side panel a first pair of end panels and a first base panel of the carrier, a second series of main panels hingedly coupled together for forming at least a second side panel, and a second pair of end panels of the carrier, the blank including, at a first end thereof, a first internal medial partition panel hingedly connected to the first series of main panels and a second internal medial partition panel hingedly connected to the first internal medial partition panel and to the second series of main panels, each of the internal medial partition panels having an internal handle panel struck therefrom having a handle aperture therein, such that the internal handle panels are hingedly connected together and to provide a pair of shoulders on the internal handle panels and a pair of corresponding abutments on the internal medial partition panels, which abutments are spaced from the corresponding shoulders the blank further comprising a pair of external medial partition panels hingedly connected together and to the internal medial partition panels and being located, in the blank between the first and second series of main panels.
 13. A blank according to claim 12, wherein each of the external medial partition panels has an external handle panel struck therefrom, with each external handle panel having a handle aperture therein.
 14. A blank according to claim 12, further comprising temporary shearable connections between said internal and external handle panels) and the respective internal and external medial partition panels.
 15. A blank according to claims 12, further comprising at least one transverse partition panel struck from each of the internal medial partition panels.
 16. A blank according to of claims 12, wherein the blank comprises, at a second end thereof remote from the first end, a pair of securing panels hingedly coupled to the respective first and second series of main panels for attachment to the internal medial partition panels.
 17. A basket style carton having a composite centre partition structure, the partition structure comprising a pair of partition panels and a pair of handle panels struck from the partition panels, wherein the partition panels are secured together along their coated sides and wherein the handle panels are secured together along their uncoated sides, the partition panels are interconnected along their common upper edge and folded about the upper edge to have the coated sides secured together, the handle panels are interconnected along their common upper edge and folded about the upper edge to have the uncoated sides secured together.
 18. The carton as claimed in claim 17 wherein the handle members are disposed for movement between extended and stowed positions with respect to the partition panels, and wherein the upper edges are aligned with each other when the handle panels are in the stowed position.
 19. (canceled)
 20. The carton as claimed in claims 1 wherein the handle structure further comprises a reinforcing layer member formed from the guide panels and secured to the handle member.
 21. (canceled) 